How To Pack School Lunches Your Kids Will Eat

Summer is coming to an end and school is about to start. That means it’s time to get back into a school year routine. Part of that routine in many households includes packing school lunches. Packed lunches are a great option when your child isn’t too fond of what the school has to offer, or you want a little more control over what your child is eating.

If your child has dietary restrictions or food allergies, packing lunches is a must. Frankly, packing a lunch allows you to include healthy foods your child will actually eat and it doesn’t have to cost any more than what you would be paying for lunch at school. Packing a lunch every day doesn’t do any good if your child doesn’t eat it, or ends up trading most of it away for junk food. The key is to find good food that your child loves and enjoys eating.

Get Your Kids Involved

The best place to start is to get your child involved. Depending on the age of your kids, you could even put them in charge of making their own lunches. Not only do you know that they’ll pack something they will eat, being in charge of packing lunch will teach them responsibility.

Start by talking to your kids about what they want in their lunch box. Make a list of options and then head to the store so you have everything you need for the first week of school. Getting the kids as involved as possible will make sure that they end up with lunches they will eat. For older kids that may even mean making their own lunches (under your supervision of course).

Younger children can help. Even your kindergartner can wash grapes and put them into a container, or pick a snack for his/her lunch box. Get in the habit of making lunches together the night before. Over time you can give the kids more and more responsibility for their lunches. This alone will help make sure they eat what they’ve packed. After all, it’s the lunch they made. Along the way you’re teaching them independence as well as important life skills.

About Michelle

Michelle is a married Mom to three. Two girls and a boy with severe autism.

She provides reviews, giveaways and the odd recipe for her readers, and shares other small bits about life as a parent. She loves to travel with her family and you will find some of her travels reviewed and discussed on these pages.

This blog is written by Michelle and edited by her husband Carl from A Parent's Perspective